Abstract

Artefacts of CultureBased with the board riding extreme sports of surfing, the project aims to explore the primary artefact within the Japanese printing method of Gyotaku (a method to record the fish caught). Dating back to the mid-1800s, this ‘fish printing’ method delivers a direct original impression of the surfboard (including the dings). The Surfboard prints focus around the hand shaped elements of the board, the fins, length and overall detailing of the dimensions. The dings (elements of the board that have been hit and dinted the glass resin, usually be the rider falling off) show the skill level and experience of the rider. Surfers focus on the details of the surfboard and also own more than one surfboard (for different style or size of waves). As a visual anthropological vehicle, the study is in the early stages and the prints are used to gather further samples / stories / personal reflections in and around the culture.